Animal-cleaning device.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

HENRY TIDEMAN, 0F MENOMINEE, lVlIICIE-IIGAN.`

ANIMAL-CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Y Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application led September 23, 1910. Serial No. 583,421.

lfication.

My invention relates to animal cleaning devices, particularly to suchdevices controlled by suction.

Among the important objects of my invent-ion are Vto produce a compact,simple and eflicient suction outfit to be used in connection with animalcleaning tools, such outfit being adapted to be easily handled andreadily supported in any suitable place where it is to be used; and toprovide a cleaning tool in the form which will perform the functions ofboth curry-comb and brush and which is of a construction particularlyadaptable for use in vacuum or suction cleaning systems.

The nature of my invention and the various features thereof will bereadily understood from the following specification and by reference tothe accompanying drawing, in which drawing- Figure l is a View showingthe various partsof the cleaning outfit supported and connected readyfor use, Fig. 2 is an under side view of the cleaning tool, and Fig. 3is a sectional view taken on plane 3 3, Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, a vacuum producing device V of suitable design isadapted to be suspended through the agency of a spring s from theceiling of the stall in which the animal to be cleaned is kept, thevacuum producing device being preferably electrically driven, so that itcan derive its driving power upon connection of a plug p with a socket Tconnected in the usual manner with an electric light circuit c. Thevacuum producing device shown comprises a cylindrical body part l havingthe cylindrical enlargement 2 forming a fan chamber having thetangential outlet 3 for connecting with a hose or, other conductor 4,which in practice is preferably extended out through a window adjacentthe stall. 'A conical inlet cap 5 leading to the fan chamber is adaptedto be detachably engaged by a hose 6 leading to the cleaning tool T. Thetop of the body part 1 of the vacuum device has an eye 7 for engagingthe spring s, the other end of the spring being adapted for engagementwith hooks h provided at various suitable points along the ceiling ofthe barn and preferably adjacent the various 'electric power outlets, sothat connection can readily be made with the electric current supplythrough the plug p and the leads Z leading from the vacuum device to theplug, a switch w being preferably mounted on the vacuum device tocontrol the current flow to the fan motor of said device. TheV variousframe parts of the vacuum producing device are preferably made ofaluminum, so that the device is very light and readily transportablefrom one suspending hook to another, and the device being thus suspendedpreferably over the animal to be cleaned so as not lo interfere in anyway with cleaning operations. Being thus suspended over the animal theoutlet conductor 4 can be readily inserted through a window and thedirt, dust and other particles will find their way to the outside of the'barn through the shortest path and without having to pass any turns orcorners, as will be the case if the vacuum producing device were set inone end of the barn and the cleaning tool hose 6 and the outlet hose 4were of great length. By suspending the vacuum producing device all hoseconnections are away from the floor and thus in no danger of beingstepped on by the animals or by the attendants. The flexible springsuspension also allows the device to be used over a considerable field.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown a preferred form of cleaning tool whichwill perform both the functions of a curry comb anda brush. In theordinary process of cleaning a horse both a curry comb and a brush areused. The curry comb is usually of sheet metal devoid of flexibility andwill at times irritate and hurt the animal.` In my Vdevice I produceflexibility, so that the animal can at no time be irritated or injured,and that the rubbing of the cleaning device will create a. healthycondition. As shown, the tool comprises a main frame 8 preferably ofaluminum and which may be circular, as shown, or of any other convenientcontour. This frame has at its periphery a flange 9 forming a pocket 10,and extending in the opposite direction from the center of the frame isthe annular lug 11 communicating with the pocket 10. The frame with itsflange and lug can of course be readily stamped integral from sheetaluminum or other metal. The lug 11 has an axial outlet 12 and a radialoutlet 13, either one of which may be engaged by the nlucr 14 providedat the end of the hose 6 leading from the vacuum producing device 1, andboth outlets being threaded to receive a shut-oli plug 15. If it isdesired to usethe radial outlet, as shown in the drawing, the plug 15 isscrewed into the axial end of Athe lug, While if the axial outlet isdesired to be used the plug 14 'is inserted in this axial end and theplug 15 screwed into the radial inlet 13. Adjacent t-he flange 9 theframe 8 is provided with the annular boss 16, against which seats thedisk 17 to be held in place by screws 18', this disk being preferably ofsoft rubber and supporting a plurality of bristles v18. These bristlesare preferably of stili' material, such as steel, and are ofcomparatively large diameter, their outer ends being rounded. The rubberbase 17 is uite thick in order to stilen the bristles su lciently sothat they can be used to curry the animal to loosen the dirt, themounting of the bristles, however, being suliiciently iexible so thatthey can be used in the capacity of a brush wlthout in any wa hurt-ingor irritating the animal, the application of the flexible steel bristleswith the rounded ends serving rather to soothe the animal and to createa healthy condition of the skin. The disk 17 has the central opening 19registering with the interior of lug 11, through which opening the dust,dandruff, and other dirt particles and the loosened hair will be drawnby the suction to be carried through hose 6 through the window and tothe exterior of the barn. The boss 16 keeps the inner part of the disk17 removedl from the frame 8 in order to allow sufficient lexure of thedisk to follow the various irregularities of the animal over which thedevice is being operated. The bristles are suiciently spaced apart toprevent clogging or accumulation of the products of cleaning,particularly hairs, and to allow these products to readily nd their wayto and through the opening 19, this opening 19 being of suflicient sizeto well accommOdate all such products of cleaning. In order to confinethe suction to the areaadjacent the bristles a flexible ring 20 ofleather or other suitable material is interposed and clamped between theflangeV 9 and the periphery of the disk 17 to surround the bristles,thus preventing escape of any dust but confining the dust to be actedupon by the suction and to be carried through opening` 19 into theoutlet hose.

he cleaning device described above, even without the suction attachment,is more ecient and desirable than the old-fashioned curry-comb, thisold-fashioned curry comb being of rigid metal with shar ends whichw1-Wammes: ...wp-naw my,

'with the to irritate, scratch and hurt the animal, whereas in thedeviceof my invention the bristles are yieldingly and flexibly mounted andhave rounded ends, the application of the device giving a sort ofmassage treatment which is ve beneficial to the skin. Of course with t esuction attachment the de- 70 vice is much more efficient, in that thedust and other cleaning particles are removed immediately upon beingloosened. The brush part can be readily removed at any time from theholder or frame and can be replaced by a brush having the ordinaryanimal bristles t0 be used with or without suction. The suctionattachment can be either or the side of the frame, as would be t e' mostconvenient, Iand the method of suspendino` the suction producing device,as hereinbefore described, renders the manipulation and operation of thecleaning tool very easy and reliable. The cleaning products can be blownthrough a window or into a suitable receptacle and will not accumulatein the barn, as is the case with the old fashioned curry combs. Theoutlet hose can also be directly applied to the animal to clean by theoperation of blowing, or can be used for other cleaning purposes aboutthe barn. Any other suction controlled cleaning tool or device can beapplied to the end of suction hose 6, or to the end of exhaust hose 4.Further changes and modifications are possible, which would also come`within the scope of my invention,- and I do not therefore desire to belimited to the precise construction and arrangement shown, and I claimthe following: An animal cleaning device comprising a metallic body partin the form of a disk having a peripheral flange extending, in onedirection and an extension extending in the opposite direction to -formapassage way 105 communicating with the space surrounded by said flange,said passage way having a ra ial outlet and an axial outlet eachadaptable for detachable connection with a hose communicating with asuction producin 110 device, a plate of fiexible material secured tosaid disk within said liange and having an opening; `communicating withsaid passage way, ristles extending from said plate to said opening, anda exible rubber wall 115 secured between said plate and flange andextending outwardly to surround said bristles.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day ofSeptember, A. D. 120 1910.

HENRY TIDEMAN.

